Candace Parker’s jersey was retired by the Chicago Sky before their game with the Las Vegas Aces on August 25. The iconic No. 3 Sky jersey was raised into the rafters at Wintrust Arena alongside Allie Quigley’s, which was retired in July.
“My heart will always belong to the state of Illinois, the city of Naperville, and the city of Chicago. It’s not just where I’m from, but it’s the core of who I am, and that’s what home is,” Parker said during her ceremony.
Parker’s time with the Sky is defined by the team’s first championship in 2021. That season she averaged 13 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists per game. While her numbers weren’t flashy, her impact and leadership helped the Sky win it all. She also served as a mentor to younger teammates, including Kahleah Copper, Courtney Vandersloot, Diamond DeShields, and Azurá Stevens.
The future Hall of Famer is known more for her time with the Los Angeles Sparks, where she spent 12 of her 16-year career. Her No. 3 jersey was also retired by the Sparks earlier this year.
“I needed to come back in 2021. I wanted to come back and play with a team that played the style that had the heart, the character, and it was more than just basketball. I found that here,” she said.
Her performance in Game Four of the 2021 Finals was instrumental, scoring 16 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. Her arrival alone boosted ticket and merchandise sales, giving the city of Chicago a chance to succeed.
Parker’s choice to leave the Sparks shocked fans, but her decision was based on hometown ties. Born in Naperville, she attended Naperville Central, where she won two Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year awards in 2003 and 2004. She became just the second junior to win the award and remains the only woman to win it twice.
After high school, she committed to Tennessee, where she won two consecutive national championships and twice earned national player of the year honors. Standing 6-foot-4, she became the first woman to dunk in an NCAA tournament game and the first to dunk twice in a college game.
Her dominance didn’t stop there. Over her career she earned two MVPs, a Finals MVP, three championships, and seven All-Star selections. Her mastery on the court was defined by her versatility and consistency. She was so dominant she won Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season.
Although retired, Parker has not left the game. She works as a commentator for NBA and NCAA games on TNT and NBA TV and serves as the president of Adidas women’s basketball.
Regarded as one of the best WNBA players of all time, Parker’s influence goes beyond basketball. In 2020, she became an advocate for transgender youth in sports. She also serves as a junior NBA ambassador, working with kids to develop their skills. In addition, she runs the Candace Parker Foundation, which helps empower future generations to live without limitations. In 2023, the foundation partnered with Gatorade to donate $100,000 to cover registration fees for under-resourced youth athletes.
Candace Parker is a Chicago legend whose legacy goes far beyond the stat sheet, inspiring the city and shaping the franchise. She is now forever memorialized as a Chicago Sky great.
“If you come back [home], to me, that means more. I wanted to go back but there’s nothing like Chicago sports,” Parker said.